SNP's flagship curriculum 'harming children's prospects', experts warn

The Commission on School Reform, the education arm of the independent think tank Enlighten, said the place of knowledge has been “devalued” in the current curriculum.

The Scottish government’s Curriculum for Excellence was formally rolled out in schools and colleges from 2010, with an aim to provide a flexible, skills-based education for children.

Ahead of May’s Holyrood election, Enlighten has published a manifesto that makes a series of recommendations, including that the curriculum should be “knowledge-based”.

READ MORE: Parents campaign for the right to a tech-free education for Scottish pupils

The manifesto also calls for the abolition of Education Scotland and argues that curriculum policy should be “strategic and limited in extent”.

The document recommends that objective assessment under examination conditions should remain the main component in assessment for qualifications from Qualifications Scotland, formerly the SQA.

Commission chairman Keir Bloomer, a former director of education who was involved in the creation but not the implementation of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE), said: “Curriculum for Excellence was sound in theory, but it has been poor in implementation and practice and is now harming the long-term prospects of a generation of children.

“There are two large problems with CfE. Firstly, the place of knowledge in the curriculum has been devalued.

READ MORE: College employers and unions pledge to put 'decade of disrespect' behind them with new agreement

“Increasing research evidence about how learning takes place and the importance of knowledge and long-term memory has been neglected.”

He added: “A focus on ill-defined ’21st century skills’ – now often described as ‘meta-skills’ – has left pupils ill-equipped for further learning.

“Secondly, there is no adequate specification of curriculum content. The experiences and outcomes which seek to fulfil this purpose are vague and difficult for teachers to interpret and put into practice.

“As a result, there is little consistency of approach from school to school, and secondary schools lack certainty about the prior educational experience of those coming from primary.

Scottish politics has never been more important - get The Steamie newsletter today

“We must be big enough and bold enough to admit when we have made a strategic mistake, and reverse it before any more damage is done.”

For pupils with additional support needs (ASN) the commission said it should be recognised that current arrangements are “unsustainable”, adding a commitment should be made to implementing the outcomes of the recommended review of pastoral care and ASN.

The manifesto also recommends that school autonomy should be increased, particularly in relation to curriculum delivery, behaviour management, deployment of staff and use of resources.

Scottish Conservative education spokesperson, Miles Briggs, said: “This damning report confirms what parents and teachers already know — the SNP have let Scotland’s once world-leading education system decline on their watch.

“After years of warning signs, ministers can no longer ignore the failure of Curriculum for Excellence in practice.

“Scotland’s pupils need higher standards, clearer teaching and less interference from failing education quangos.”

A Scottish government spokesperson said: “We fully agree with the commission on the importance of knowledge and recognise the need to improve our curriculum in a planned and systematic way. It would, however, be disingenuous to suggest that Scotland’s curriculum is not already knowledge-rich.

“Work is progressing through the curriculum improvement cycle, with maths the first subject to be updated. Ministers also agree with the commission’s position on the retention of examinations - that was a key component of the cabinet secretary’s response to the Hayward Review.

“Ministers also agree that school autonomy should be strengthened - that is why we have asked John Wilson, the former head teacher of Broughton High School, in Edinburgh, to lead work on identifying future reform priorities. He is initially focusing his work on three key areas that reflect the ambition to empower school leadership.

“To further help assist those with additional support needs, Janie McManus, the Scottish government’s professional advisor for education, is leading a review to strengthen additional support for learning. This will conclude before the end of this parliamentary term and was agreed to through cross-party engagement on ASN with the cabinet secretary.”